Depression And Seasonal Affective Disorder

I have diagnosed myself with seasonal depression, which I can assure you is a very real disease. The technical name for this disorder is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, which is defined as a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Causes may be genetic, as I am sure that my dad also has seasonal depression. So many winters of my life have been spent shivering while walking around school, playing in the snow until I thought my hands would fall off, and fearing going back outside to feel the gust of cold wind take over my body. The condition gets worse during daylight savings when the sun sets at 5pm, and the cold night takes over. Thus, when applying to colleges, the coldest school I applied to was in Washington D.C. I refused to

in a SAD patient this does not occur until about two hours later. In order to

When the dark days of winter approach, people are slowed down and have difficulty waking up in the morning They are tempted to snack on holiday foods and find that the pounds will creep up on them, even as they valiantly try to diet. People can often find it difficult to focus at work or in a relationships, feel down in the dumps, or maybe even depressed. If a person says yes to any one of these criteria, than they may be experiencing a disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D), or also known as the winter blues. A current study shows that the population that lives in the Northern America and European. In its very basic form, S.A.D effects 6% of all Americans suffer from this distress, Seasonality can also lead to distress, both in an individual's work and one's personal life. Over ten million Americans have suffered, or are suffering from S.A.D, and while the percentage may not seem like a large number, but it translates into over a million Americans. Though Some people may not be affected by S.A.D enough to seek medical attention, they still feel less cheerful, less energetic creative and productive during the dark winter days. The effects of the seasons on humans have been well known through the centuries to artists, poets, and songwriter. For example, Shakespeare observed that a, "sad tale's best for winter", while Keats wrote nightingale singing of summer "in full throated ease", and the singer of a modern day ballad calls his beloved the

There really have only been studies conducted on people with possible SAD since 1984 when a man named Norman E. Rosenthal actually defined the psychological disorder (Lam). Since Rosenthal defined SAD as a syndrome characterized by recurrent depressions that occur annually at the same time each year characterized by hypersomnia, overeating, and carbohydrate craving (Newsome), there have been several studies conducted and published on people with possible SAD. Many of the studies that have been published for the general public focus mainly on the different forms of treatment for SAD, such as light therapy and different forms of Phototherapy, rather than focusing on the cause. Discovering the main causes of SAD would help to clearly identify who is actually in need of treatment related to light therapy compared to anti depressants. In my situation I had symptoms that were both characteristic of what identified SAD patients and patients suffering from mild forms of depression. When symptoms of one disorder are so closely related to symptoms of

On the other hand the theories previously mentioned do have merit and truly stand on their own. The Melatonin Theory suggests, due to the shorter longer nights of winter melatonin secretion runs rampant. This is where bright light therapy is thought to be most effective. Bright light therapy would emulate the sunlight that is taken in through the eyes and affects the pineal gland to help suppress melatonin secretion (). The problem with this though is that there are now reports that claim melatonin suppression is not necessary to reap the benefits of SAD.

“Doctors do not know the causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder” (Seasonal Affective Disorder, 2016), but it has been thought to be caused by lack of sunlight (Mayo Clinic, 2016). When daylight’s saving time occurs, this disorder may

Due to the reduced daylight time frame within the fall and winter months along with the reduced sunshine light throughout the day, the light has potential to affect the optimal mood in a person’s behavior pattern (Partonen & Lonnqvist, 2002). Although researchers have concluded to various theories explaining the relationship between SAD and light, yet the majority have agreed that there is a significant relationship between sunshine light and the circadian cycle. Considering the rhythmic biological cycle as a main factor in SAD, one study states the amount of the hormone melatonin produced in one’s brain is probably the best index of circadian timing (Arendt, 2012). In addition, there has been additional evidence of phase delay in the timing of circadian rhythms in SAD patients as well (Partonen & Lonnqvist, 2002). According to Moscovici (2006), it is assumed “that the decrease in daylight exposure affects circadian rhythms via the retinal-hypothalamic pathways and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the endogenous body clock, and the melatonin secretion through the pineal gland, subsequently affecting serotonin metabolism in such a way that it causes the kind of mood alterations seen in SAD.” Therefore, researchers in the clinical community began implementing light therapy to treat their SAD

Melatonin is a hormone which

Darkness is the trigger of the creation and secretion of melatonin and when there is light, melatonin creation levels drop extremely low and the melatonin produced is inhibited from being release. Generally for humans, melatonin increases around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., peaking from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., however each person will have their own pattern that their body follows (Blachford & Krapp, 2010). The secretion and production of melatonin reflects a circadian

(3) While successful drug therapies which act on neurotransmitters in the brain imply that depression is a neurobiological condition (4), the fact that such medications do not help about 20 percent of depression-sufferers seems to show that not all depression is due to such imbalances. Rather, depression is not caused by one single factor; it is most often caused by many different things. Genetics, biochemical factors, medicines and alcohol, developmental and other external factors, and relationships, marriage and children all have effect on the development of clinical depression. (5) The strongest hypotheses on the pathways to depression are in decreases in the activity of specific neurotransmitters, or the overactivity of certain hormonal systems. (3)

Bright artificial lights at evenings suppress melatonin’s release, a hormone regulating sleep and circadian rhythms. Decrease in melatonin levels weakens internal clocks’ ability to prepare the body for sleep. This not only causes sleeping difficulties but also a groggy and tired feeling after waking up. Rapid-eye movement (REM) during sleep also lessens. This diminishes the brain’s ability to learn and store memories during sleep. Reduced sleep also increases risks of obesity, diabetes, depression and accidents. Greater exposure to natural light could reduce the body’s sensitivity to artificial light.

A normal functioning circadian process is greatly influenced by light from the environment, since it’s detected by cells from the ganglion cell layer of the retina. A photopigment in these cells – melanopsin- depolarises when it’s exposed to light. Then, an action potential is generated and goes through the axons in the retinohypothalamic tract to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus. As soon as the SCN is activated, action potentials are sent to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, where the synapsis takes place and from where preganglionic sympathetic neurons descend to the spinal cord. Later preganglionic sympathetic neurons interact with postganglionic sympathetic neurons in the superior cervical ganglia. Postganglionic sympathetic axons then project to the pineal gland, which is responsible for segregating melatonin, an hormone that induces sleep. Therefore, when the individual is exposed to little or no light, the pineal gland segregates more melatonin (maximum levels of melatonin are reached between 2 am. and 4 am.). On the other hand if the environment is still very bright, melatonin production will be repressed.

Winter sucks! Ever notice how people seem less energetic during winter months? Engineering students at Western University have. A group of first year engineering students focused their attention on refining how we practice light therapy, a leading treatment for the winter blues.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) takes place during the winter weather, this is due to the lessening of the sunlight during those months. The symptoms include lack of energy, eating more than you would usually, sleeping more and gaining weight. People are diagnosed after they have had these symptoms present during the winter for more than 2 years. This type of disorder can be treated with artificial light treatment. During light therapy, you sit or work near a device called a light therapy box. The box gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.

Depression have become a major problem in our society today. People who haven’t experience depression will not understand how it feel and what it can do to a person. Many people also doesn’t understand what depression is, or how it can related to suicidal ideation. In fact, studies have documented that the majority of young suicide victims had depression at the time of death and most suicide survivors were diagnosed with symptoms of clinical depression at the time of their attempt (Mojs, Biederman, Głowacka, Strzelecki, Ziemska, Samborski 2015). It can affect anyone, from young adolescents to college students to the elderly people. There are many reasons that can make someone have major depression. Such as financial problems, family problems, social problems, school, work, etc. These stressors in our daily life can cause anxiety which can increase our stress level significantly, which then can lead to depression. A research said that anxiety disorder have a high comorbidity with depression and that anxiety occur prior to the onset of depressive disorders in many individuals (Batterham, Christensen, Calear 2013). People who experience depression must find way to cope with depression and know how to get help in order to prevent suicidal ideation. The people surroundings, friends and family, must also find ways to recognize the symptoms of depression, and show understandings in order to help those suffering. This research project will help people understand more about